Automatic stoker for furnaces



July 14, 1925. 1,546,263

E. C. STOKES AUTOMATIQ STOKER FOR FURNACES Filed May 4, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORY EZRA C. 6 ToKEs.

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E. C. STOKES AUTOMATIC STOKER FOR FURNACES Fi'led May 4, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 & N

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July 14, 1925.

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July 14, 1925. 1,546,263

E. c. STOKES AUTOMATIC STOKER FOR FURNACES Filed May 4, 1922 4 sheets sheet 4 I IIII lllllllllllllllllll F7c-;"'7 INVENTORZ EZRA C. STOKES.

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Patented July 14, 1925.

EZRA C. STOKES, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMATIC STOK Application filed ma 4,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EZRA C. S'roKEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of ,Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Stoker's for Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic stokers for furnaces. An object is to provide a device of this character which may be used in connection with either stationary furnaces or locomotive furnaces. A particular object is to provide a stoker which will take the coal directly fromthe bin or tender, crush it, convey it into the interior of the furnace and distribute it therein.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection with the detailed description, and the novel features embodied in my inventive idea will be particularly pointed in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one of the forms in which my invention may be embodied,

Fig. 1 isa top plan View of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan viewwith certain/parts moved into a different position from that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the apparatus with an associated coal receptacle and furnace partly broken away. Fig. 4 is a view in central vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 5 is an end view of the device removed from the coal receptacle. Fig. 6 is a view in vertical section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4. Fig: 7 is a view in vertical section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 4.

As shown in the drawings, my apparatus is associated at one end with a coal reeeptacle 10 which may be a bin or tender and at the other end is associated with a furnace 12. The rear portion of the receptacle 10 is provided with an inclined bottom member 14 which delivers the coal upon. a pair of regulating plates 16 and,18 which-at their rear ends are pivoted to the frame member 20. These plates are formed with sharp edges as shown in Fig. 6 so that they .will cut throughthe coal when they are being closed. At their front ends the'blades 16 and 18 are connected respectively by links 22 and 24 with a; triangular piece 26 which inturn is connected by parallel upper and lower links 28 and 30 to a lever 32 pivoted at one end W a frame member 34 and at the ER FOR FURNACES.

1922. Serial No. 558,346.

other end attached to a link 36rconnected to a hand lever 38 which is pivoted at 40. By operating the hand lever 38 the plates 16 and 18 ma be brought entirely together as show-n in ig. 1 or may be opened up as shown in Fig. 2, or may lee-placed in a partly open position. Below the plates 16 and 18 is a pair of breakers 42 and 44 rotatably mounted in the frame and having bevel gears 46 and 48 meshing respectively with bevel gears 50 and 52 secured to a transverse shaft 54. Also, secured to the shaft 54 is a bevel gear 56 which meshes with a bevel gear 58 secured to the upper end of a vertical shaft 60 to the lower end of which is secured a bevel gear 62 meshing with a bevel gear 64 secured to a longitudinal shaft 66. Secured to the shaft 66 is a bevel gear 68 in mesh with a bevel gear 7 0 secured to a transverse shaft 7 2 to which is secured a pair of sprocket wheels 74 and 7 6. Extending around the sprocket wheels 74 and 7 6 and around a corresponding pair of the rear sprocket wheels, one of which is designated at 7 8 in Fig. 4, is a pair of sprocket chains and 82 which are connected by a continuous series of transverse strips 84 to constitute an endless conveyor belt running underneath the breakers .42 and 44 and extending forwardly beyond the front ends thereof. Adjustment of the rear sprocket wheels 78 may be made in the usual manner by bolts 85 for tensioning the-conveyor belt. Secured to the shaft 66 is a bevel gear 86in mesh with a bevel gear 88 secured to a transverse shaft 90 to which are secured sprocket wheels 92 over which runs the upper end of an endless elevator 94, the lower end of which runs over sprocket wheels 96. The I lower end of the elevator 94 is beneath the forward end of the conveyor previously referred to and the upper end of the elevator may be arrange in obvious manner to deliver at any desired height. The elevator 94 delivers into a chute 98, the forward end of which delivers through the wall of the furnace 12. A pipe 100 delivers steam or compressed air into the rear of the chute 98 for forcing the crushed coal into the furnace.

Within the furnace in front of the chute 98 is a hood 102 secured to the front end of a pivoted lever 104, the rear end of which is provided with a knob 106 in engagement runs a belt 114, also running over a pulley 116 secured to the shaft 90. The cam 108 causes oscillation of the hood 102 so that the pulverized coal will be distributed through the furnace due to the fact that when the hood is raised the coal can be projected further back into the furnace. connected to shaker bars 120, the rear ends of which are pivoted to levers 122, the upper ends of which are connected by rods 124 to cranks onacrank shaft 126 on one end of which is secured a bevel gear 128, adapted to be engaged by a bevel gear 130 splined on the shaft 66. A shifter arm 132 connectedwith the gear 130 serves to bring the latter into engagement with the gear 128 when it is desired to shake the grate bars. The shaft 66 may be driven by a pulley 134 connected by a belt 136 to a ulley 138 secured to a driven shaft 140 WhlCll is operated by any suitable motive power. The breakers 42 and 44 are enclosed by side walls 142 and 144 and the conveyor is contained within a boxlike member having side walls 146 and 148, a rear wall 149 and a bottom 150. The boxlike member may be supported in any suitable manner. placed in a locomotive tender, this member may be supported on a roller 152 mounted at the upper end of a bracket 154. This allows for relative movement of the tender of the locomotive without injuring the efliciency of the feeding mechanism which extends from the tender to the locomotive furnace. The boxlike member may also be sup v ported by one or more posts 156 to the upper end of which a strap member 158 is attached The upperstretch of the conveyor belt may be supported by a series of brackets 160 attached to the side walls 146 and 148 as shown in Fig. 6.

The operation and advantages of my invention will now be obvious. Coal contained in the receptacle 10 will rest upon the plates 16 and 18 and upon separating these plates the proper amount, the coal will be delivered in a regulated stream to the breakers which crush it. The crushed coal falls upon the conveyor belt and is delivered Grate bars 118 are In order that it may be memes from the front end thereof to the "elevator which carries it to the chute 98 from which it is forced by the blast'coming from the pipe 100 into the interior of the furnace and is distributed therein by means of the oscillating hood. The entire operation is erformed automatically. When it is desired to shake the grates the gear 130 is shifted manually into mesh with the gear 128. The manner in which the boxlike structure is supported enables the device to be used for stoking locomotive furnaces on account of the provision for relative movement.

I claim:

1. An automatic stoker for furnaces comprising a receptacle for coal,a belt conveyor running underneath said receptacle, a longitudinal driving shaft, connections between said shaft and said conveyor for driving the running underneath said receptacle, a'longi tudinal driving shaft, connections between said shaft and said conveyor for driving the latter, means for conducting coal from the delivery end of said conveyor into the furnace, a deflecting hood positioned in the furnace adjacent the inlet opening thereof, a lever pivoted between its ends to one end of which said hood is secured, 'a camlike member operatively engaging the other end of said lover, a shaft to which s'aidmember is secured, driving connections between said whereby said driving shaft may be operated.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

EZRA G. STOKES.

shaft and said driving shaft, and means I 

